Principles over rules
We’re taught early in our lives to follow the rules. Rules are put in place to tell us how we should behave and what expectations to have in certain situations. They put us in a mindset of right and wrong.
Each organization likely has an employee handbook that outlines office rules. These are helpful in ensuring employees understand the way the company works, but they can also be inflexible and stifle employees’ autonomy.
This is where the adage “rules are meant to be broken” has some truth. Along this line, leadership expert Rajshree Agarwal suggests that leaders should stress principles for office culture rather than rules: “Rules coerce behavior. Principles inspire behavior,” she writes. Here are three ways principles can drive positive results in your organization:
- Stay optimistic: Rules are often phrased in pessimistic ways that make it seem like employees don’t know how to behave professionally or as adults. Promoting principles in your office will motivate your team to work at their highest ability because they feel like you trust them and they have space to grow and learn.
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